Consequences
by Nate Grey
Summary: Saturos has rescued himself and Menardi from certain death, but at what price? Complete.


Notes: Started this the night I beat Golden Sun.  Set after the battle atop Venus Lighthouse.

Summary: After the storms die down, a once-proud flame can burn brightly again.  But for these two candles, the fire has died, and only rapidly melting wax remains…   Saturos/Menardi.  

Consequences

A Golden Sun Fanfic by

Nate Grey (XMAN0123@aol.com)

The strangers had walked arrived at the town of Imil in the midst of a fierce blizzard.

Had the townspeople been a suspicious lot, perhaps they would've seen that as an omen…at the very least, a sign that these two were not to be trusted.

But one could hardly have looked at the strangers and not have felt pity for them.

Even though the blizzard had gone on for nearly a week, somehow, the man had managed to carry his female companion, on his back, over what had to have been several miles in the storm, as there were no nearby towns.  Though he was a clearly mere step away from exhaustion, he had refused all aid until his companion was lying in a warm, soft bed.  Then, he had unceremoniously collapsed across the bed.  No one in the entire town was able to move him, and so they left the two strangers to rest and regain their strength.

A week later, the man woke up.  The townspeople gladly gave him food and drink, and offered him some of their famed Hermes Water, certain that it was just what he and his companion needed.

No one had ever turned down Hermes Water.

The man did not so much turn down the Hermes Water as he did grab the flask and throw it out of the window.  He told the townspeople in no uncertain terms that anyone who tried to give his companion the "accursed" water would be beaten to death by his own hands.

There were, of course, no more offers of Hermes Water after that.

* * * * *

Megan bent down carefully and tried to lift the heavy piece of wood, only to scratch her small hands on the sharp edges.  "Ow!"

"Careful, child," said a deep voice behind her.  

Before she could even turn around, the man had already grabbed the plank and added to the others under his arm.

"Oh!  Apollo, don't sneak up on me like that!" the young woman scolded, swatting his arm.

"You should learn to be more aware," he replied simply, fixing her with a stern look.  "It's hard to believe you call yourself an Adept."

Megan scowled up at him.  "And what would YOU know about Adepts?  You don't even have any Psyenergy!"

In all the years she had known him, Apollo had never raised his voice around her, nor had he raised a hand in anger.  But the look he gave her just then could've burned a hole in the thickest iceberg.  His eyes were usually a dull, smoky crimson, but now they flared like glowing embers.

In her youth, Megan tended to forget many things.  She especially had trouble keeping in mind what the others said about Apollo.  Most people said he was quick to anger, especially whenever someone happened to bring up Adepts or Psyenergy.  She hadn't thought it was true, but she'd done her best to keep her mouth shut…until now, anyway.

"A-Apollo…I'm sorry.  I shouldn't have said that."

The rising fire in his eyes died at once, and he looked away.  "In my prime, I met a group of Adepts.  They were…startlingly strong.  They were young, like you…and so I think it a shame that you and Justin have yet to realize your true potential."

"It's not like we're not trying.  We have to complete our training first, and then-"

"You are training to heal.  What does a town in the shadow of the Mercury Lighthouse need with healers?"

"…it wasn't always lit, you know," Megan said softly.

"I know all too well.  But it is lit now, and it won't be going out.  You two could leave at any time.  No one's had as much as a sniffle in ten years."  Apollo shifted the wood to his other arm.  "You should go, child, while you still can.  There is a world beyond Imil that will not wait for children who cling to the skirts of their mothers and hide behind the ideals of their fathers."

"And what about Artemis?  Who would be here to help if she got worse?"

Apollo closed his eyes.  "You know as well as I do that no member of the Mercury Clan can help her.  Nor can your Hermes Water do anything for her, either."

"You don't know that!  I'm sure if we could just figure out the right-"

"Megan.  No."  He opened his eyes, and his lips twisted into a ghost of a smile.  "I thank you for being concerned about her.  But Artemis and I have always thrived best when alone…together.  Outside aid would just be a hindrance, especially in this case."  

"But you have to admit her illness is strange," Megan murmured.  "No one here has ever seen anything like it.  It's like a permanent case of fatigue."

"Don't change the subject," he snapped.  "You're making excuses."  Apollo lowered his voice some.  "If you don't go soon, you'll regret it for the rest of your life.  If I had been afraid to venture out…"

"You wouldn't have met Artemis?" Megan guessed.

He smiled.  "No, we were of the same village.  But if I hadn't, she probably would've had nothing to do with me.  Courage was a plentiful commodity among our people, and those who didn't have it were frowned upon.  Had I been afraid, Artemis would never have given me a second glance."

"You've been together a long time, haven't you?"

"I cannot remember a day when she was not by my side.  But there are many things I do not remember…some, I do not wish to.  That, however, is another matter."  He gave her a significant glance.  "I must get home.  Artemis will awaken soon."

"I…I hope she's feeling better today," Megan said softly.

"Thank you, Megan.  I will be sure to tell her you were thinking of her."  He turned and stooped slightly as he carried the firewood into the sanctum.

* * * * *

The house was silent as he entered, as it always was.  The previous owner, an elderly man, had left all his possessions to the two unfortunate strangers upon his death.  Apollo had been completely unprepared for such a generous offer, but he was not fool enough to reject it.  He suspected it was Artemis's poor condition that had initially sparked the old man's kindness, but no matter now.

Apollo walked to the pantry and began to gather ingredients for vegetable stew.  It was the only thing Artemis ever managed to keep down anymore, so it was all they ever ate.

A barely audible creak behind him caused Apollo to pause.  He turned slowly, not at all surprised to find two round, bright blue eyes peering at him from under the trapdoor.

"How is she, Omni?" he asked softly.

The creature shook its head and ducked back out of sight, the trapdoor closing behind it.

Apollo sighed and went to clear off the stovetop.  On the way, he passed a mirror hung on the wall, and then doubled back.

The man looking back at him was a complete stranger.  No one in the Northern Clans would've recognized him as one of their own now.  His hair had turned darkest black, his skin now almost bone white.  Only his eyes hinted at his former might…and even their brilliance had been forever dulled.

"It was worth the price," he said to himself, closing his eyes.  "What I gave up…was nothing, compared to what I was able to hold onto.  I made the right choice…the only choice."

When he opened his eyes, he was almost certain he believed that.

Apollo tore his gaze from the mirror to focus on making the stew.  It would not do to make Artemis wait for her meal.

* * * * *

She woke up the instant his hand brushed her cheek, but did her best not to show it as she rolled away and buried her face in the pillow.

"You know you need to eat," he chided, his hand smoothing out her raven hair.  "I've made stew."

She grumbled a little, but finally opened her eyes to glare at him.  "What time is it?"

"It's late," was all he said as he moved the delicious-smelling tray to the nightstand.

"You always say that," she complained.

He gave her a patient look.  "It's always true."  Noticing she had barely moved, he asked hesitantly, "Do you…want help sitting up?"  When she continued to glare instead of answering, he leaned over and carefully wrapped his arms around her thin frame.  More or less to make it easier on them both, she slid her arms around his neck.  She was, as always, awfully easy to lift, and he made a mental note to make her eat all of the stew and bread this time.

When they had agreed upon a comfortable position, he placed the tray over her lap.  She tried to grab the spoon, but he batted her hand away and picked it up himself.  He pointedly ignored her scowl, dipped the spoon into the bowl, and then brought it to her lips.

Hunger eventually overcame pride, and she allowed him to feed her with no further protest.

Amazingly, she ate everything he offered her, and if the taste displeased her, she chose to hold her tongue.  It was very much unlike her, and it worried him greatly.

"You never told me what happened that day," she said suddenly.

He did not need to ask which day she meant.  "I am certain I did."

"You just told me that you saved me.  You never said how, exactly.  Or…why we look like this now."  Her eyes narrowed.  "Or why I haven't been able to use my Psyenergy."

His face became stony.  "I told you not to try-"

"Would you prefer I just wasted away like this, Saturos?  How could you not expect me to try and heal myself?  I'm not always asleep when you leave to go…wherever it is you go during the day."

"You know very well where I go.  And I've told you never to call me that again."

"Why not?  It's your name," she spat.  "It's who you are."

"Who I was," he replied firmly.

"Why do you keep saying that?!  Why do you keep acting like we've changed?"

"Because it's true, and we have.  Look me in the eye and tell me we could return home without being seen as total strangers."

"If you want me to agree with you, tell me what really happened that day at Venus Lighthouse."

He flinched, but nodded and looked away.  "As you know, when we were defeated, we fell down the center of the lighthouse.  If we had even retained a little of our original strength, we could've survived the fall.  But forming the Fusion Dragon required all of our power, and the fall would've killed us easily afterwards."

"Then how did we survive?  What did you do?" she asked.

"I…I used a certain Psyenergy.  One I swore would never be useful to us."

She frowned.  "But you just said-"

"That all our power was gone.  That's true.  But this Psyenergy needs no power to be performed.  In fact, that's the only requirement in order for it to be used."

"What is it called?"

"Relinquish," he said simply.

She stared at him.  "You…you didn't…" she whispered in horror.

"I did."  He looked at her, sorrow in his eyes.  "I had to."

"You FOOL!" she screamed, tossing off the blankets and lunging at him.  Valiant effort that she gave it, her strength drained from her at once, and she hit him with all the force of a rag doll.  Even then, she did her best to claw at his face.

He easily caught her wrists and held her to his chest.  "I'm sorry, Menardi.  But I had to or we wouldn't have survived."

"You call this survival?!" she cried.  "You gave up everything we were—WITHOUT my consent—and you dare to tell me that you HAD to?!"

"Menardi, you would have died if I hadn't."

She finally got a hand free and slapped him hard across the face.  "I would rather have died in that accursed lighthouse, if I'd known your foolishness would banish us to this so-called existence!"

He stared at her in shock, his cheek glowing red.  "We are together.  Isn't that enough?"

"No," she snapped, "and if you ever thought it would be, then you're a bigger fool than I first imagined!"  She tore away from him and stumbled back to the bed, just barely managing to haul herself into it.

He automatically stepped forward to help her, and then thought better of it.  "I thought you would be happy to be alive at all," he said.  "Surely you didn't expect me to only save myself and leave you to die?"

She laughed bitterly.  "Of course not, Saturos.  I expected you to die with me.  You have always proven yourself loyal to our Clan.  If I was ever worried about you abandoning or betraying me, I never would've joined you in the first place."

"What are you saying?  Don't you understand why I had to do this?  Don't you realize why I saved you?"

"Because I'm of the Clan," she replied tiredly.  "We just went over your loyalty."

"FORGET the Clan!" he shouted.  "That's not WHY, Menardi!  Can't you see that?!"

"Get to the point if you're going to shout," she sighed.

"If you had been in my place and able to decide our fates, what would you have done?"

"Accepted death," she replied at once.  "There would be no shame in that."

"There would be no point in it, either."  He shook his head.  "Menardi, try to understand.  When I saved you, your being a Clan member was the furthest thing from my mind.  Those last few years, it always had been.  Because you were so much more than that to me."

She froze.  "What are you saying?"

"Menardi…you were my companion.  The only ally I ever trusted completely.  You were…my friend."  He approached the bed and sank to his knees beside it, reaching out to tuck her dark hair neatly behind her ear.  "I…had always been attracted to you before.  I thought it was merely your beauty.  But now that we have nothing but each other, and my feelings have grown instead of lessened, I know for sure."  He grasped her hand and held it to his heart  "I love you, Menardi."

For a long moment, she said nothing.  Then she jerked her hand away.  "I don't know what you mean," she replied acidly.  "I'm not Menardi.  She's dead.  We are Apollo & Artemis now, or have you forgotten?"

His face darkened.  "Fine."  Without another word, he picked up the tray and headed upstairs.  At the top, he paused.  "When you can no longer live on your pride and cruelty alone, call and I'll bring food."

She glared after him until the trapdoor slammed shut.  Only then did she bury her face in the pillow, attempting to hide tears of frustration, pain, and regret.

* * * * *

When the trapdoor creaked open a few hours later, he assumed it was only Omni.  But when the footsteps that followed were far too slow, Apollo sprang to his feet.

She slowly shuffled over to the window, which she stared blankly out of for the next few minutes.  A heavy blanket was wrapped tightly about her body to keep out the cold.

Uncertain of what she was thinking, he could not decide what action would be best, so he only stood there, staring at her back.

Finally, she moved away from the window and walked directly to him.  "I hate you," she said at once.

Apollo blinked once, then twice.  She had said it as simply as one might have said, "I have five toes," with about the same amount of emotion.  For that reason, he wondered if she truly meant it.  Usually, no matter how tired she was, she could put some anger behind her words if she really wanted to.

"And you have to be alive to be able to tell me that, don't you?" he asked quietly.

Artemis frowned.  "I'm hungry."

"You didn't call."

"So?" she challenged.

"If you had called, you wouldn't have had to come up here.  You know that."

"Maybe I wanted to come up.  You have a problem with that?"

"Only if it makes you worse.  Sit."

She obeyed for some unknown reason, so he found the biggest pot in the house and made a new batch of stew.  He did not try to stop her when she wandered over and began regularly tasting the stew while he was cooking.  Instead of telling him what was good and what wasn't, she would merely hand him salt, pepper, or some spice, which he would add without question.  In the end, he thought it turned out much better than it usually would've if he'd cooked alone.

When they had eaten, he turned to her expectantly.  "Do you want to go back down?"

"No."

This was not the answer he had expected, so he had nothing else to say.  

She took his hand and led him over to his bed, where they sat down.  "What happened to our Psyenergy when you gave it up?  Where did it go?"

Apollo didn't want to answer, but she began to squeeze his hand in a decidedly unpleasant way.  "Omni," he said at last, tapping the floor twice with his boot.

Instantly, a small figure scurried into view.  At a glance, it might've been mistaken for a Venus Djinni.  Perhaps, once, it even had been.  Now, though, the brown skin was a patchwork of yellow and red spots, along with an extended flaming tail.

"He's been here the whole time?" Artemis asked.

"Mostly.  He's very quiet."

"Why does he stay?"

"I suppose he doesn't know how to handle the separation, either.  He only knows that we are all related." 

Artemis stretched out her hand, and Omni came forward, hopping into her lap and burrowing into the blanket.  "We're going to die, aren't we."  It wasn't really a question.

"Of course.  We were not meant to live forever."

"I wouldn't know it, with the names you gave us."

"Old habits die hard," was his reply.

"I still hate you," she reminded him in the same tone.

He drew her closer and lightly kissed her forehead.  "Yes.  I know."

The End

Don't look at me like that.  I always end in bad spots, so don't bother asking me why.  _

No, there isn't really an Omni. That WE know of…


End file.
